It had been about a week since Beau had made a turn around eating as much as I would put in front of him now. What a relief to see this dog come around one more time. However not knowing how long this recovery would last at age 12 I had decided to start letting him back in the field. Now with him still recovering all 3 Setter's moved at about the same pace with Beau always pushing the lead of course. So I'd pick appropriate cover for them to work without much resistance hoping to corner some birds and get everybody out in the fresh air again. Together.
On this overcast day in November my plan was to run across a bean stubble field that had several rock piles, small depressions with cattails, and weedy cover. At the north end a mile and a half away there was also a nice narrow waterway we'd walk before turning west for a while and then back south along a fence line ending back towards the Jeep. Most hunters would look at this route and scratch their heads about walking across a bean stubble field that looked pretty bare but my advantage living here and hunting this area throughout the season as it changes is that I know the birds patterns. All the out of state hunters hunt along a waterfowl production area bordering the big lake and walk down the section line adjacent hunting the ditches. Well it doesn't take the birds very many times being repeatedly flushed out of those areas to adopt alternate plans!
You have to also know I'm looking for a perfect moment. A beautiful picture and experience not just an opportunity to empty my gun of super magnum shells at a wild rooster as he flushes from the reeds. I want the birds best game on his terms pitted against my willing and beautiful Setters and I'll add my average shooting skills!
Sure enough as we made our way into the bean field here comes two "out a stater's" as the locals call them, dressed in full camo upland hunting after obviously finishing banging away at some ducks this morning. Right on down the old section line road with their flushing dog's in tow. They were coming towards me but I kept walking in their direction for a while until I got to where I turned on this run into the stubble to the north west. They must have been puzzled as to where I was going as I walked across the bare stubble with 3 bird dog's but the field rises and dips so you actually can't see most of the small areas of cover unless you actually walk the field which is the case with a lot of these spots looking at them from the roads. We skirted several of these areas of cover with tracks visible in the snow as we made our way to a spot which had been an old homestead which was now just some brush, bits of old machinery and pieces of the foundation here and there amongst the weeds and grass. The Setter's are experts at identifying cover so as we approached this spot in the field they quickened their pace with Beau in the lead. I followed suit of course. As soon as Beau got to the edge of this cover his head came up as he surfed the wind. This sign was immediately picked up by Mick and Molly. That was the joy in this hunt today not knowing a week earlier if we'd ever be able to do this together again or not. I'm talking about hunting as a team. Reading each others body language and working together to hunt these birds culminating in a point and a successful shot. As I watched it began to unfold. Beau slowed as he came to the corner. Mick and Molly had caught up stopping one behind the other as Beau became rigid with his head high looking to the west. I was 40 yards behind at this point but closing in fast. Just as I got behind Molly Beau eased up and slowly walked forward followed by the other dog's. The birds had moved . I came around and we all walked through this weedy cover with no birds present. Beau then picked up the scent and trailed it across the stubble 50 yards to the next area of heavy cover in the field which was part of the waterway I mentioned earlier. All 3 Setter's now knew by watching each other and picking up the same scent that we had birds right here! They cautiously moved about when Beau froze looking to the south but Mick and Molly were facing another direction doing the same! What I figured I had was a few birds all in the same area. I walked around with nothing flushing and the Setter's not willing to move. A few more steps and all hell broke loose! First a couple hens then one more then one, two, three more and I was still just waiting. Waiting for the rooster! Sure enough after several seconds of delay here he came just a beauty flushing right in front of Beau going to my right. I quickly dropped him hard and waited cautiously but there were no more as all 3 Setter's converged on the bird.
We continued on but this single moment is exactly what we're out here for. It couldn't have been any better and we got to do it one more time! Together." Just Like Old Times! "
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